Design programs allow the digital creation and manipulation of designs for a large number of applications. Embroidery designs are created using software design programs such as embroidery digitizing software. Such programs allow for the customization and selection of various design parameters and features.
Design programs are implemented on a computer system that allows users to create an embroidery design using design software and then export that design to an automated embroidery machine which can sew the design onto fabric.
After the designs are created using the design software, it is often necessary to alter the design for use on a different product which requires alteration in the size of the design or the type of fabric. When such changes occur, the user is required to re-calculate and re-enter parameter or feature selections which they made during the initial design. This process requires user expertise, takes a significant amount of time, and degrades the quality of the user experience.
Thus it is apparent that there is a need for design software which can automatically alter parameters and features when a design is altered.
When implemented, embroidery designs currently use a type of stitching called underlay. Underlay stitching is located behind the top-stitching and not visible when viewing the completed design itself. The function of the underlay is to provide a stable base for the top-stitching of the embroidery design. Currently, design programs associate an underlay stitch with each separate design element. When a group of design elements are located close together, the underlay for each design element is performed separately, which is less stable than if the underlay is performed continuously for the group of design elements.
Thus it is apparent that there is a need for design software which can automatically identify a group of design elements and perform a continuous underlay stitch for the group of design elements.
All embroidery satin and fill top-stitch shapes distort when they are sewn on fabric. This is due to the thread being stretched in length during the sewing process in order to keep it tight to the top of the fabric and properly set the lock stitch knot for each stitch. A given shape will shrink on the sides perpendicular to the stitch direction, and expand in the direction parallel to the stitch direction. An example of this would be if the user digitized a shape that was exactly 1″ square with the stitch direction running horizontal, sewed it on fabric, and measured the actual embroidery shape sewn it would measure about 1.1″ in height and 0.95″ in width. Currently embroidery digitizing software programs only allow digitizers to account for the loss of width and no provision can be made by subtracting for the increase in height. The width compensation feature in embroidery digitizing programs is commonly referred to as ‘Pull’ compensation in the industry while height compensation is referred to as ‘Push’ compensation and does not exist in current programs. It has to be done manually by distorting the digitized shape in the embroidery file. This is done by shortening (cutting off) some of the top and bottom of the shape manually on screen.
Lettering accounts for a significant portion of all embroidery. The human eye looks at lettering on a straight base line and notices any deviations in the heights of the letters. Pleasing to the eye letters are very consistent in height. Embroidery programs contain digitized alphabet fonts. These are similar to True Type fonts in regular computer programs, but the letters are filled with stitches instead of just with a certain color. When digitizers create these embroidery alphabet fonts they must make each letter a certain height, and all letters are digitized at that same height. This produces reasonably consistent, pleasing looking lettering at the digitized height, but as the letters are scaled there is no provision for automatically adjusting for ‘Push’ compensation. Certain letters such as AFHIJKLMNPRTUVWXY and Z appear taller than those not listed.
Thus it is apparent that there is a need for design software which can automatically perform push compensation on design elements.
Currently, embroidery digitizing software only allows users to digitize their own tie-in and tie-off stitches manually each time tie stitches are needed, or select auto tie stitches from a limited amount of preset tie shapes that are built in to the software. Embroidery production facilities use different types of tie patterns based on the fabric the design will be sewn on and also the embroidery machine type the design will be produced on. If a user digitizes his own tie pattern it is only for the top stitch element following it, and when the design is scaled so are these stitches. This makes them too close together or too far apart to be effective.
Thus it is apparent that there is a need for design software which allows users to digitize and store custom tie stitches and recognize those tie stitches to prevent scaling.